The Progressive Magazine Needs Our Help

If you're familiar with The Progressive, it's a wonderful magazine with a hundred-year history of advocating for progressive social change, going back to their founder, Robert La Follette. Doesn't matter what the issue, they were ahead of their time, and they continue to publish wonderful writers from Howard Zinn to Barbara Ehrenreich to Eduardo Galeano, plus they have a syndicated show on 40 radio stations.

But they may not be able to continue without our help. I'm chipping in and hope my fellow HuffPo readers will too. It's easy to think that in our digital age, only blogs matter, but The Progressive continues to run important and timely stories that get us thinking in a longer framework. The have a good web audience as well, though not as large as ours. They're an important independent voice, and I don't want to lose them. But they need to raise $90,000 in the next couple weeks to get through a short-term cash crunch, after which they'll be ok for the rest of the year, and with cutbacks, in decent shape for the following year. They've come up with $25,000 so far, which leaves $65,000. I gave and I hope other Kossacks will as well.

Paul LoebAuthor of Soul of a Citizen

Here's the descriptive letter from editor Matt Rothschild:

Dear Progressive Reader:

Let me put it to you straight: We must raise $90,000 in the next two weeks to keep going.We've got no money in the bank, and we have payroll to meet on August 31, and our printer to pay, and other creditors hounding us.

We've got to shell out $130,000 in the next two weeks, but we're only expecting to bring in $40,000.

That's why I urgently need your help with a tax-deductible donation by clicking here. Please be as generous as you can.

The Progressive is a nonprofit, legally and all-too-literally these days.

Aware of our acute budget problems, we, for the first time in the 26 years I've been here, recently had to institute staff cutbacks and salary reductions, including for me. We've also combed over every expense line, and trimmed wherever we possibly could. There's no place else to trim.

On the revenue side, I've spent the better part of my summer nights calling people up on the phone for donations. And still we're short.

Next year looks a lot better. With all the savings we've made, we stand to secure our footing and gain significant ground. But we need to get there first.

If you value the weekly letters and updates I send you,

If you value the writing and reporting on our website,

If you value the Progressive Radio offerings or those of the Progressive Media Project,

Or if you value the essayists we bring you in the magazine, like Howard Zinn, Naomi Klein, Barbara Ehrenreich, Dave Zirin, and Eduardo Galeano,

Or if you value the 100-year history of The Progressive magazine, this great institution of dissent,

Then please show your support right now by sending The Progressive a tax-deductible donation by clicking here.

I need to hear from you today.

Thanking you in advance,

Matthew RothschildEditor and PublisherThe Progressive

P.S. If you want to discuss our situation with me, feel free to e-mail me at mattr@progressive.org, or call me at (608) 257-4626. I really appreciate your support. And please share this appeal with any and all friends who might be in a position to help. Thanks so much!409 East Main Street | Madison, WI 53703 US